* (restored)
‘The swizzle stick’s origin can be traced to its first appearance on sugar plantations in the West Indies in the 1600s as a small branch used to stir a refreshing rum elixir called “Switchel.” It seems we’ve never stopped using them. Queen Victoria was known to use a stirring rod to chase bubbles out of her Champagne, quietly avoiding any embarrassment from those pesky fizzy gasses.
‘The Gibson Girls and then flappers of the Roaring ’20s used swizzle sticks made of glass and newly invented Bakelite plastic. They were already a hot item when all they did was stir. But it was inventor Jay Sindler who, in 1934, revolutionized swizzle sticks with a brilliant advertising idea.
‘Two and a half months after the repeal of Prohibition, Sindler sat contemplating his martini at the bar in Boston’s Ritz Carlton Hotel, wondering how he could remove the olive without dipping his fingers into his gin. He sketched the solution to this problem on his cocktail napkin; it was a small spear made of wood with a paddle-shaped handle. The paddle would be used as a miniature billboard imprinted with the establishment’s name.
‘This idea would have been worthless during Prohibition when speak-easies hid from the law, but after repeal, drinking establishments wanted their names and addresses out in public. Swizzle sticks conveyed the information and were cheaper than a book of printed matches and cheaper still than the vanishing ashtrays that also boasted printed logos. Sindler was granted his patent on Feb. 19, 1935, and his invention and his company, Spir-it Inc., are still in business.
‘World War II and then the space race prompted growth in injection molding and plastic technologies that were good for the development of the swizzle. By the 1960s, we’d reached the golden age of the swizzle stick; any form was possible, fantasy designs were limited only by an artist’s imagination and a client’s request.
‘Swizzles became an important part of any lounge’s décor. They were snapped up as soon as they were set out, and the more exciting the design, the faster they were pocketed. As playful representations of their establishments, they became more whimsical and intricate — for example, sporting a lobster for a seafood restaurant or a steer for a steakhouse. Las Vegas casinos all competed to have the most extravagant swizzle in town.
‘Taking swizzles as a memento was assumed and encouraged. They were saved for years. They made customers feel like they were given a gift, and the cheap but magical memories on a stick beckoned them back to an establishment again and again. A Madison Avenue dream come true.
‘It wasn’t until the 1980s that swizzle sticks fell upon hard times. The rise of Jane Fonda workout videos and general health consciousness prompted a decline in cocktail consumption, bars and restaurants tightened their belts, and swizzle sticks practically disappeared. Remaining patrons were left with a flimsy red straw, hardly substantial enough to move the ice around their drink.’ — Los Angeles Times
400 swizzle sticks found in a dumpster.
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‘Swizzle sticks are miniature billboards and a very reasonable way to advertize, as 95% of swizzle sticks are taken home. They’re not as much in vogue as they used to be but they’re making a big comeback. Swizzle sticks are a very reasonably priced and easily acquired collectible. My own collection is in excess of 55,000 and is always growing. They can’t possibly be put on display but they’re all mounted on 11 x 14 inch cards (28 x 36.5 cm), and are not only in alphabetical order, but also indexed by color. I’d say I spend at least seven hours a day working on swizzle sticks. In 1985 the International Swizzle Stick Collectors Association (ISSCA) was born. Our first biennial convention was held in 1987 in Las Vegas. To date, we have had 12 such events. Our conventions bring together 30 or 40 members from ISSCA for three days of swizzle stick business including presentations, guest speakers and our huge swap fests. I publish our “Swizzle Stick News” newsletter and my wife arranges the convention planning. I’m extremely proud of what I have and what I have achieved.’ — Ray Hoare
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‘This is one of the many things I collect; I hope you enjoy my Suzanne’s Swizzle Sticks Page! You might want to post your trades on the Delphi Collecting Forum or join The International Swizzle Stick Collectors Association below. I went to there biannual convention and had a great time!!! Please feel free to send me swizzle sticks, or other collectibles: P.O. Box 865201, Tuscaloosa, AL 35486-0047. I will reimburse for postage costs. Here are some pictures of some of my best-looking sticks (the rest are sorted in boxes in the closet).’
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‘Welcome to Swizzle Sticks International! New to collecting or have tens of thousands? Either way, check out this site dedicated to collecting all sorts of swizzle sticks from around the world. Here are some samples from our collection.’
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‘Welcome to the Casino Swizzle Stick Page. Currently the Las Vegas swizzle sticks are being loaded. The guide will be updated on a regular basis as new scans are uploaded. This is a guide to view swizzle sticks, this is not a price guide but I do use a rarity factor to give some idea how difficult some of the swizzle sticks are to obtain. Currently there are 159 swizzle stick examples to view.’
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‘Welcome to Swizzle Sticks Collection, a site devoted to swizzle sticks. Generally made of plastic, glass, sometimes metal, swizzle sticks are part of objects which are collected from bars. Next to bottle openers, ashtrays, glass, swizzle sticks have attracted collectors since their creation. Swizzle sticks being very numerous and varied according to the different countries, exchanges remain the best way to increase a collection rapidly. This is why this site has a page showing duplicates. For a clearer view, the collection is classified by themes or per brand. As it is a big collection only part of it has been photographed, that is 3114 pictures altogether.’
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‘Welcome to SwizzleDD’s Swizzle Stick Collection! I collect many things, but swizzle sticks are my passion. For many years I have collected them, but really got serious about the hobby eleven years ago. In the past, I would keep one swizzle stick from a cocktail, but now all my friends and relatives collect as many as they can for me. I now have more than 50,000. Here are some of favorite stirrers.’
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Leftovers
Shaunessy Swizzle Stick Master Class
A Sculptural Swizzle Stick
Gin & tonic
LED Swizzle Sticks
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p.s. Hey. ** Laura, Wow, the poster, cool. I think with the advent of TikTok and YouTube, etc. to some extent as legit platforms for films and art and so on, that the short film form, if the maker accepts those platforms as their works’ only or main context, is currently in its prime. I don’t know, I just don’t feel dancing. It’s not natural for me, and I have no longing to give my body that outlet. One time at a Gang of Four gig in the early 80s, I lost control and pogoed all over the place, but that’s it as far as I remember. I’m more content to stand in place sway slightly. I think my 10 was, relatively speaking, not terribly traumatic. I live for rewriting. It’s all about getting to that stage for me. Nothing so interesting today. Script work, trying to set up RT screenings. I don’t think much of anything will intrude on that, but we’ll see. Your today? ** Charalampos, It is. I did not know that about ‘I Don’t Blame You’. Makes sense. Favorite Car Power songs? ‘Nude as the News’, ‘Cross Bones Style’, ‘Shaking Paper’. ** _Black_Acrylic, Wow, haha, I’ve never heard anyone here even mention Paris FC. I like underdogs, god knows, so I’ll inquire with my futbol friends pointedly. ** Bill, ‘Arrebato’ could have been in an earlier post, sure. Yesterday was Joy Williams’s birthday. How about that? ** DonW, It’s going to take some serious thinking and looking. But fuck knows I like a good blog challenge. I will check for Manchette, thanks. If Pavement play ‘Starlings in the Slipstream’ imitate my voice and yell ‘thank you’ towards the stage. Excellent Paris = coffee, you. ** HaRpEr //, He’s not widely known, so it’s not you. I always imagine an ideal reader, and they do exist, and they’re rare, as it maybe should be. Absolutely, the New York School poets were an unspeakably massive influence on me. I can’t imagine who I’d be if it weren’t for them. See, I knew nothing about Markiplier other than him originating on YouTube. Hm, lowered expectations then, but I’m still hungry. ** Steve, I still have no idea what ‘Iron Lung’ is going to be, which is surely half of the anticipation. Huh, I’ll look for the Claire Simon doc. Curious premise for sure. I don’t know if that dreaming thing is common, but it sure makes total sense. ** Uday, Inexperience can he highly intelligent. At least in your case. I’m pretty good at keeping my irritation to myself, but Bresson is an exception. Luck with the V-Day targeted guy. Oh, the Ukrainian woman. She got kicked out of her apartment because she didn’t pay rent for a long time. This was while I was away showing ‘RT’. Yury let her stay here for a few days, but apparently her schizophrenia was in full swing, and he had to tell her to leave. Social services found her some place to live temporarily for free out in suburbs, and she went there. I have no idea what’s happened to her since, but I suspect things aren’t so great. ** Right. And today I restored a really, really, really old post. But I like it. So there. See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
Havent read post yet, but right off the bak McDonalds swizzle sitck. Iconic.
Haha im reusing this Wendy’s Wednesday meal swizzle stick I took from a friends meal for my coffee stirring station.
Maybe im too stoned buttt why does the name Wednesday look so stupid advertised on a TV show? Idk maybe its one of those moments where a certain word loses its meaning and sounds bizarre and shapeless.
Hey Dennis! I heart ornate plastic tat, so this is excellent. Those really baroque neon ones look great, I really like the effect that muddy plastic castings have – like, a spread out and flattened image, but also sharp along the vertices. It’s such a cool combination to me, for some reason. Hope you’ve been well, I’ve been totally snowed under with work (in a great way). My routine is now like, 12 hours of work, an hour of reading while I cook, maybe a half hour of gaming then bed. It’s a bit Oldboy, but very comfortable. It’s amazing to be able to be totally self-reliant, I think the high that I get from not needing to rely on anyone else may never wear off.
Speaking of videogames, there’s been a weird incident recently. I’m sure you know Binding of Isaac (the 2-D game where you fight through a half-Zelda / half-Bible Belt set of rooms), and recently the guy who made that has made a second game. It’s kind of weird though, his edgy shtick seems to have become a bit more evil recently – one of the voice actors is a famous sex criminal, it’s got a lot of really South Park-ish jokes about disability, et cetera. Weird, and kind of amusing, I guess. Oh, and that videogame I really enjoyed about anime men hurting one another (lol) has a new figure coming out, so I may treat myself to that. Hope you’re well, byeeee.
>one of the voice actors is a famous sex criminal
oh wait who?
CWC?!
helloooooooo! ok…SwizzleDD? thats a diva. thats mother. she may have put me in the market for a big fuckoff rattan chair
eeee thank you for bday wishes! i too am too old to mosh…so really i just sort of open mouth cried to agriculture while my bf (lovable black metal snob) rolled his eyes. then i tinkered w rewrites all day then ate an absurd amt of thai food and held my friends hostage in the back of a video rental store to watch a weerasethakul film. best bday ever!!
i see cat power discourse. i was obsessed w her in like 4th grade cuz my lifelong bestie’s older sister was a fan.
Never been a swizzle stick collector myself, but then I don’t really do cocktails. Their increased popularity has been noted however. Must be something to do with their high sugar content, I reckon.
Back in my heyday as an art student over in Chicago, a friend came up with a couple of very cute names for cocktails. “Perm” and “Sparkle Motion” is what they were called and although I have no idea of their ingredients, the very idea of these drinks is adorable. I could imagine them decorating the drinks menu of any prospective ladies’ night.
Has a swizzle stick ever been used as a weapon in a film? I mean it’s tailor-made to take out an eye or two.
Thanks for yesterday’s intro to Ivan Zulueta. Always good to discover new art & artists from my current home. Have you ever done a Soledad Miranda day? One of the great sexual obsessions of my youth, & I always felt kind of guilty about not knowing more about her life & mind.
Have you ever made French toast? I did the other day, for the first time, & it turned out great. Finally a solution for what to do with stale bread. Quite thrilling to me actually, because I can’t bear throwing out food.
Ha, didn’t know this is a thing. I’m not a cocktails guy, but some of those sticks are pretty cute, I have to say.
Didn’t know it was Joy Williams’ birthday! Hope she had a good one.
R.I.P. Bud Cort. Going to a Harold and Maude screening tonight.
Bill
Hey Dennis,
Forgot to respond yesterday after reading it on my way to work. I’m a pretty big Cat Power fan, especially Moon Pix. Found her through “Metal Heart” and then eventually just consumed the whole album. Still haven’t really ventured farther than that though. It’s a bit of a solitary island in the sea of her records, the only one charted.
I’m pretty excited to get into High Rise now that I have the rest of the weekend off. I’m constantly finding books that I’m interested in, but I know I shouldn’t buy, but I want to read them. Maybe I’ll just give them back when I’m done like a library.
Whilst still on the fence about a therapist and how to go about it, I’m trying to live with a lot less shame, as I seem to have a lot of it. It’s kind of working so far…
hi Dennis!
oh shit so that’s what a swizzle is lol. until today i had no word for it in any language and no concept of the thing itself. just that some plastic fuckery sometimes swims in drinks and McDonalds does or used to do smth of the sort too. i’m much less baffled by this recurring tidbit now <3
thank you for that beautiful image of 80’s you pogo-ing about! then again it was GO4, you *had* to. ^_^ my brain went straight for We Live As We… for some emotionally unclear reason, tho Paralyzed would have been such a coup. do you remember the song(s)?
rn i’m thinking there will be rewrites, and the thought is v relieving in and of itself but also a) what if i’m just being a coward and b) blergh why did i bother editing smth which was bound to be hacked off, start again etc. my fav part of re-writing is isolating the sentence or two sentences that get it, like i sifted for gold or smth lol. w that and minus the rest, more is def possible.
i finished Closer btw! got me harder this time, maybe bc i read it in such close proximity to its mates. anyway, partially riffing off the vom-worthy tradition of romance tropes lol, Clifford Dennis Cooper, the heart you have. or smth. =D
glad your day has been mellow and stuff! over here we’re having such violent gusts of wind and for so bloody long too, everything we do is basically to a soundtrack. which could be worse but then again, balconies are being ripped off buildings…
i read you mention an Ukrainian neighbour who’s apparently going through it, man, hope she’s… anything whatever, really, at this specific point. a place to live in and of itself minus comprehensive psychiatric and social services attention… idk. she must be proper lonely even if she’s not alone in her head or whatever. if you hear anything new about her would you let us know? i don’t know her obvi but i sort of hate thinking of her there in the thick. Yury was cool for letting her stay over for a bit.
ughh i slept way too long last night and now i’m like dizzy and weird.
might listen to GO4 lately lol it’s been a while. they were really early to the party and stuff.
hugs!
what ‘lately’ lol ‘later’! this blog tries to finish every other word for me and now and then it actually does =)
Many years ago my father, whom I love very much, took me aside to demystify his alcohol cupboard because
a. He thought that if it weren’t forbidden and mysterious I’d be less likely to take to it in secret as a kid (mostly true) and
b. Even if I did take to it in secret I would at least be drinking at home.
I was too young to consider drinking, and the beer I’d smelled on peoples’ breaths smelled gross. But I remembered the swizzle sticks. That’s what I was interested in. We had little ceramic ones shaped like seasheels, and I can still feel the green one against my palm. I don’t know why, but so many of my memories are stored in that swizzle stick: my parents’ friends coming over and me putting their kids (my age or older) to sleep so that I could go hold court with the adults; sitting with my grandfather on the sidelines of the extended family dinner; listening to music in our living room. I’ll always forget about swizzle sticks as a concept, and then going home will remind me, but this post reminded me of them this morning in my college room across the world and that was an odd, odd experience. Thank you.
Thank you for the luck with V-Day guy. Huge week for me. Got into my first PhD programme and it’s my top school! And a new Charli album tonight, even if it is just a soundtrack album for what will probably wind up being a dreadful film.
So sad to hear that about the Ukrainian woman. Yury sounds very kind. I’ve always been fascinated with schizophrenics and basically buy into the Deleuzean thesis that they’re having very rational reactions to our world. They’re monsters in the classical sense, the etymological sense of monere meaning ‘to warn’; symptoms of a social malady. Kinda like the tubercular types of centuries past. I hope she’s OK out in the suburbs. I really do.
It’s interesting to me when you get a substantial community of people who all bond over collecting random things. As a bit of a hoarder myself I admire the ability to refine your hoarder impulses to one thing and then take it to an extreme.
Funny how many Cat Power fans I’ve brought out of the woodworks. All after saying I listen to ‘Moon Pix’ to get myself to stop breaking down. It gives me a lofty idea of my influence when that happens on the blog.
Well, I do find that some very exciting things occasionally happen in horror when the director has no interest in seeking Hollywood approval and wants to make something for their tight knit community of horror fans. Even people who aren’t that interested in experimental film have unexpectedly made things sort of uncompromising. Markiplier is definitely being painted as the little guy successfully going against Hollywood by some outlets. I’d rather watch a goofy horror flick over a
I watched this film today from a few years ago called ‘The People’s Joker’, a low budget trans joker comedy featuring characters from the DC world, funded by some of the people involved in ‘Tim and Eric’. I think it went through legal hell for a while and the planned screenings in 2022 were cancelled due to copyright and was then released two years later. It features a lot of great animated sequences from several different animators who all contributed a little scene. It’s by no means perfect but it’s not supposed to be, and is sort of a beautiful mess.
Writing this I became conscious for the first time that ‘interesting’ is one of the few words I can use to articulate something I like. I wonder if I should try to do something about that. I guess I like its vagueness.
Urgh, forget to finish my thought at the end of the second paragraph. I meant big budget artsy slop
Hey Dennis.
I actually used to steal swizzle sticks, not because I liked them really, but because they used to make good styluses when I lost my pen for my Nintendo DS. I ought to find my DS again someday…my Nintendogs are probably dead, and my games are all gone…But I do wanna get the new Tomodachi Life game sometime!
I saw the Wuthering Heights movie in theatres, and I…absolutely despised it!!! Which is funny because I was just nonplussed in the theatres, but my thoughts became fully negative while I took the subway ride home. Every decision was the wrong one, every part of it just fell apart the more and more I thought about it. It was a truly odd experience of hatred. The director also did that movie “Saltburn,” which I also loathed. It was all very…performative…in the worst way. I think the director Emerald Fennell is gonna become a bete noire to Alice and me, the way Von Trier is to you.
I suppose that’s not much for a comment, but I spent 40 bucks going out to see it because I was curious and I wanted to talk to someone about how I felt ripped off. Do you have anything like that yourself? I feel like I once touched upon a dislike of yours toward Taylor Swift, which is perfectly reasonable ofc.
See ya, hugs, man.
Did you dance at raves?
I had a physical last Monday. My doctor’s office called me today to say they want me to come in next week and discuss the results. This sounds ominous – usually, they send an E-mail that amounts to “everything is fine, but you need to take more vitamin D.”
What did you make of IRON LUNG?
Speaking of YouTubers-turned-horror filmmakers, Kyle Edward Ball’s second feature is supposed to come out later this year.
Hey D, Awesome! My home state was swizzle ground zero (Nevada, natch). They were everywhere. I do remember the swizzles featuring a showgirl, haha. I’ll keep my ears out for ‘Starlings…’ and I’m praying for ‘Frontwards’ and ‘Elevate Me Later’ and most of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Some of my students love ‘Harness Your Hopes’ and I asked where they heard the song and they said Tik Tok. Huh! Anyway, the show’s a long way off and, bonus points, hosted by John Waters. Okay, enough fanboy-ing. I’ll keep an eye out for fave album covers. I’m obsessed with the cover of Linda Ronstadt’s Silk Purse, since I don’t know who ever thought that was a great idea. But I love its weirdness. Anyway! Take care, Don